American Documentary Film Festival to Present THE TRIALS OF MOHAMMAD ALI

The American Documentary Film Festival will present the new documentary, The Trials of Muhammad Ali. The screening, which begins at 7:30pm, will take place at the Camelot Theatres.

"This is one of the first films to receive an AmDocs Film Fund Award," said AmDocs Festival Director, Ted Grouya. "Our Film Fund Industry Panel of Judges saw the potential of the film and decided to commit funds to it. Now, having screened it myself, I know we made the right choice. I believe this film will be in the running for the Oscars."

The Trials of Muhammad Ali is in limited release, so this will be the only chance for Coachella Valley audiences to see it until it goes into general release. The film has been receiving rave reviews, and was described by one reviewer as "the best documentary ever made about the most famous draft-resister in human history."

Directed by Academy Awardnominated director Bill Siegel, The Trials of Muhammad Ali successfully chronicles Olympic Gold Medalist and World Heavyweight Champion boxer Cassius Clay's conversion to Islam, his decision to change his name to Muhammad Ali, and his subsequent refusal to serve in the Viet Nam war. It looks at Ali as a man on a spiritual quest that took him from being one of the most sought-after men on earth, to being a social pariah. Then, in a series of events that surprised the world, Ali was cleared of criminal charges by the US Supreme Court, became the first and only three-timelinealWorld Heavyweight Champion, and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali includes never-before-seen historical footage of Ali, his family, friends and fans, his enemies and detractors, as well as interviews shot exclusively for the film. What emerges is a mostly hidden history of Muhammad Ali, an opportunity for people all over the world to see how his journey toward a full spiritual embrace of Islam and through his humanitarian work around the world, challenges each of us to overcome today's struggles with power, race, faith and identity.